Gate for railway crossings



July, 2o 192e. 1,592,912

' F. B. FARNSWORTH GATE FOR RAILWAY CROSSINGS ,4f/amers.

F. B. FARNSWORTH GATE FOR RAILWAY CROSSINGS July 20 Filed June 1e, 192s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mr w \m emu m WQ 5 5 ma a LFE m rw Patented July 20, 1926.

lll'ENT OFFICE.

FRANCISIB. FARNSWORTH, OF G'RANBY, QUEBEC, CANADA.

GATE FOR RAILW'AY CROSSINGS.

Application filed June 16, 1925, Serial No. 37,508, and in Canada February 19,1925.

My invention relates to gates for railway crossings of the type which are automatically operated by the travel of a train within a given zone inthe proximity of the crossmg.

rThe invention has for its object primarily,y to providea new and improved crossing gate and means tor electrically7 lowering and raising the same which will be of comparatively simplified and inexpensive construction, and in which the danger of the gate failing to function at a critical time and of vehicles being damaged by the lowering of the gate will be practically eliminated.

To this end my invention consists of the construction, combination and particular arrangement of the parts hereinafter described and illustrated and pointed out in the claims.

For full comprehension7 however, of my invention, reference must be had to the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters indicate the same parts, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a crossing gate constructed according to my invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical operating means;

Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views taken on lines 4c and 5 respectively on Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a plan view of the means for yieldingly maintaining the gate in its position at right angles to the highway.

Referring to the accompanying drawings the gate proper is indicated at 2, the railway tracks at Sya railway vehicle in dotted lines thereon at 4f and the motor for lowering and raising the gate at 5.

In carrying out my invention in actual practice a pair of aligned gates each extending half way across the highway will be located on both sides of the Crossing and will operate in unison with each other but' for purposes of brevity I have herein described only one gate with its operating means.

The gate 2 consists'of a balanced arm -p'ivoted adjacent one end-and adapted to'be swung on its pivotvertically to and from `position obstructing the highway-in 4the Aproximity r of the railroad crossing. It is also capable of" beingA swung laterally-'when in its lowered position so that if the gates are lowered-at a time when a vehicle is in the act `of vcrossing fthe railway tracks the 'vehicle :will be permitted `to continue 0n its way pushing the gate to one side when it encounters the latter. The danger ot vehicles being vvtrapped between the gates is thus avoided.

The preferred embodiment of `my 'improved gate consists of a fixedl post 6, a balanced arm comprising twonormally longitudinally aligned sections 7 and 8, the sec tion 7 being forked and hinged as at 9. upon the-post in position-straddling the same and having ceunterweighted ends 10, and the other section 8 being pivotally vmounted upon one end of the lirstmentioned section in a manner to be presently described. rFliese two sections are normaliy m:=intaincd in their relative longitudinal alignment by a pair of tension-al springs 12 one end ot each ofwhich is connected to the adjacent counter-weighted arm of the section 7 and the other end of each to the underside `of section 8 adjacent its pivot point through achain 18. The latter extends over an antiffriction sheave 14E flanked by two additional sheaves 1,5 and 16 which are engaged by the chain only when the section 8 is swung laterally on its pivot. All three sheaves are mounted upon the underside of the section 7.

As it is desirable to prevent the section 8 from swinging laterally relatively to the section 7 when the gate is in its raised position means is provided for automaticalij: locking the two Sections together when the gate is raised and for automatically releasing the same when the gate is lowered.

This means consists of two normally aligned lockingmembers 17 and 18 and a locking slide 19 adaptedto simultaneously engage both members when the gate is raised andv hold them against relative movement. The member 17 is fixed upon the top et the `gate-section 7 and slidably carries the slide and the other member 18 is pivoted on the section as at 21 on a vertical axis in alignment with the iixcd member and hingedly carries as at 21a the other gate se vtion 8 and formsa part thereof. The relative dimensions of the locking members, slide 19 and link QOare such thatwhen the gate is lowered the slide will be withdrawn by 'link 20 trommember 18 so that'the latter with gate section 8 maybe swung laterally on its pivot. Theislide 2O is-preferably'of inverted chan.-

`nel cross-sectionuvith its sides turned in as at22 arid-"embracing .outwardl-y extending flangesqQ on the members.

The motor- 5 for operating the gate iS i the. gate and the latter will remain in this position until the train has moved out of the sefety zone, in which event the motor will automatically return the'gate toits normal position. f

. The means forl Veiiecting lthis automatic'V 'functioning of the motor comprisesa source ofpower 36, a normallyopen trackV circuit 87 connected tothe lower sourceandadapted to be closed by a train coming fwithin the safety zone ofthe crossing, and two noru lmally open motor circuits 38 and 39 respectively, each of which is adapted when closed to drive the armature of the motor in the opposite direction inv which it is driven by the motor. .Y Y

The track circuit comprises the source of kpower 36 the electromagnetic coil 40 of a relayal andbothrails a2 and 43 of a certain section of the railway track within the vsafety zone of the crossing, all connected in series with the exception that there is no connection/between the rails, the gap there- Alnetween remaining normally open until the y' 'i y circuit is closed by the wheels of a railway vehicle moving over the Isection of track included in the circuity y Wienthetrack circuit is closed the elecf tromagnetio coil kof the realy, beingener rgized, attracts its armature la consisting of a resilient member carrying two oppositely disposed contacts and 46 V'respectively, to position in which contact 4:5 will engage a fixed contact 4:7 and close the motor circuit 38. y Y

This circuit which includes the windings of the motor is connected to the powerY source so that when it is closed the armature of the kmotor is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrows in full lines in Figure l, causing the gate to swing down in juxtaposition with thetraclQ and obstructing the highway. In order to automatically open this circuitl when the gate has been swung down to the desiredposition a pair of contacts 48 y andfil forming a partof a duplex rotary Contact 49.

switch 50 commento both motor circuits, is included in the circuit 38. One of these contacts'481v resilientlyV bears against the kother The later contactvis rotatable with shaft 9 and is of suchv a lengthand so positioned relatively' to `the kturning move- "ment offthe latter .thatV it nieves out ofen? gagenient with contact 9 at the end oit the downward movement ot the gate, and therebyopens the circuit.

Notwithstanding the tact that the motor circuit is thusopened the gate will remain in its lowered position until the track circuit is openc l. The opening of the track circuit may be cli'ected by the passage of the train from the safety Zone or by an emergency switch 'to be presently described, in which event the electromagnetic coil l0 of the relay ilfwill be 'demagnetized and allow the resilient armature la to return to its normal position. In this position its contact 116 engages a lined contact 5l and closes the motor circuit 39. This circuit is similar to motor circuit 38 with the exception that tne polarity ot its terminals is reversed so that the flow ot current through the motor windings takes placein the opposite direction, and consequently the armature of the motor is rotated in the opposite direction to that in which it is rotated when the motor circuit 38'is closed. The train of gears actuating the gate is consequently also rotatedy in the y reverse direction and the arm is swung upwardly to its initial posit-ion at which point the circuit is broken by a pair of contacts 52 and 53 forming a part of the duplex yswitch `and rotatable with shaft 9. Inorder to permit of the lowering and raising of the gate independently oi' the travel rot railways vehicles in the safety zonc'two switches T0 and '71, which may be manually operated from any convenient point, are included in the track circuit. The

iormer is normally closed and need only be opened when it is desired to open the gate while a railway vehicle is within the lsatcty zone in position closing the track circuit. vFor instance it a locomotivefis shunting 4within lthe safety zone the gate may be opened at intervals to allow the passage of the highway traffic without necessitating the withdrawal of the locomotive from the safety Zone. The other switch 7l which is included in a shunt .72 around the track lrails is kept normally open and need only be closed in an emergency in the event of the approach of a train failing to effect the lautomatic operation of the gate or when it is desirable to lower the gate independently oiC the track rails for any reason.

That I claim is as follows:

1. In -a protective means for railway crossings a gate pivoted at one end and adapted to be lowered and raised to and from position obstructing a highway, said ygate being constructed and arranged to be swung horizontally, yand means for autoinatically locking the gate against said hori- Zontal movement when in its raised position andi for-'releasing it when in its lowered position; an -electric motor for lowering and raising the gateg. a normally opentrack oircuit adapted to be closed when a railway vecrossing; a pair of normally open independent motor circuits including the motor and a source of power, each of the circuits being adapted to drive the motor in the opposite direction to the other; electromagnetic means constructed and arranged to close one of the motor circuits when the track circuit is open, and a duplex rotary switch controlled by the movement of the gate, said switch beiiigconst-ructed and arranged to automatically open, when the gate has been raised or lowered a predetermined extent,

the motor circuit causing the said last mentioned movement of the gate, substantially as described.

2. In a protective means for railway crossings a gate pivoted at one end and adapted to be lowered and raised to and from position obstructing a highway, said gate being construct-ed and arranged to be swung horizontally, and means for automatically locking the gate against lsaid horizontal movement when in its raised position and for releasing it when in its lowered position, a normally open track circuit adapted to be closed when a railway vehicle coines'witliin a given distance of the crossing; a pair'of normally open independent .motor circuits including the motor and a source of power, each of the circuits being adapted to drive the motor in the opposite direction to; the other; electric magnetic means constructed and arranged to close one of the motor circuits when the track circuit is closed, and to close the othercircuit when the track circuit is open, and a duplex rotary switch controlled by the movement of the gate, saidl switch being constructed and arranged to automatically open, when the gate has beenv raised or lowered a predetermined extent, the motor circuit causing the said last mentioned movement of tlie gate, substantially as described, and manually operated means for controlling the circuit for the purpose of causing the operation of the gate inde pendently of the circuit controlling Vproperties ot' the railway vehicle, substantially as described.

In a protective means for railway crossings a gate pivoted at one end and adapted to be lowered and raised to and Jrom position obstructing a highway, said gate being constructed and arranged to be swung horizontally, and means for autmatifally locking the gate against said horizontal movement when in its raised posi-` tion and fori'eleasing it when in its low-- ered position, substantially as described.

4. In a protective means Lfor railway crossings a gate consisting of a balanced arm comprising a part pivoted to swing vertically and a second part pivoted on the .first part and adapted to swing` vertically in unison therewith and laterally relatively thereto, and means for yieldingly maintaining the parts in longitudinal alignment, and means for automatically ,locking the second part against said'lateral movement and for releasing the saine.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANCIS B. FARNSWORTH. 

